Friday, May 12, 2017

Recent developments in the healthcare debate in
our country have left me feeling powerless. I have tried, for many years, to
advocate for people with diabetes and have focused a lot on stigma. Today I
heard what a White House official said about people with diabetes. When the
stigma is perpetuated by my own government… well it has left me quite deflated.
Then I remembered something: I have a voice and it can be heard by my elected
officials, but only if I reach out to them. The following is a letter that I
will send to my elected officials in Washington, D.C. I urge you to do the
same. You can use this linkto find the address for your Congressmen/women. Let our voices be heard!

Dear Legislator,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the healthcare
debate ongoing in our country as well to inform you of my wishes as one of your
constituents.

Healthcare in the United States is in a shambles and I do not
blame that on the Affordable Care Act. Yes, the ACA is imperfect and needs to
be fixed, but the thought of the Republican led Congress axing it and replacing
it with the travesty you call the American Health Care Act frankly scares me to
death. I speak as someone who has a pre-existing condition; two, in fact. I
speak as an American who is over 55 but not yet old enough for Medicare. I am
among those Americans who will be hardest hit by the provisions in the
healthcare act you seek to pass. Not only will older, sicker people be unfairly
affected, but millions of people with pre-existing conditions will find it
nearly impossible to buy insurance.

The Republican answer
to this issue is the use of high-risk pools. Let’s talk about that. According
to a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 27% of adults under the age of 65 have
pre-existing conditions.This includes
pregnant women! People in this group will find it nearly impossible to
purchase health insurance unless they are lucky enough to be covered under a
group plan (ie: through their employment). These people would be subjected to
higher premiums and lesser coverage than other Americans. These are the people
who desperately need health coverage! The Republican plan says that these
people would be allowed to participate in high-risk pools to assist them in
being able to afford their higher insurance premiums. I’m sorry, but I find it
ludicrous to think that the government, state or federal, has enough money to
fund insurance assistance for 52 million people. High-risk pools have been
tried in the past and have most often failed. Also, the idea that yearly and
lifetime spending limits would be reinstated is the same as telling people with
major illnesses that the government is ok with them dying if their care becomes
too expensive.Another subject that
I feel needs to be addressed is the idea that some health issues are the
patient’s fault and those people don’t deserve assistance. The stigma that
follows people with chronic illnesses is a very serious problem. According to
the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, people who develop
certain diseases don’t deserve the same level of health care as others. He
said, “That doesn’t mean we should take care of the person who sits at home,
eats poorly and gets diabetes.” People with type 2 diabetes did not cause their
disease nor do they deserve to be looked down upon by condescending asshats
anyone. (I’ll probably take that out when
I write to my Senators. Well, maybe). Gluttony and sloth do not cause type
2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a very complicated disease but it does have a
genetic component and you cannot blame someone for the genes they
are born with. Please see this press releaseby the American Diabetes Association that
explains this quite well. Living with a chronic illness is hard enough
without having to battle the stigma and when that stigma is perpetuated by our
White House it leaves me feeling hopeless.

The bottom line is that too many people in this country will
be detrimentally affected should the American Health Care Act, or something
similar, move forward. They will suffer if any change to healthcare includes
punishment for pre-existing conditions or caps on benefits. We no longer live
in a society where the country doctor makes house calls and is willing to take
a chicken for payment. Medicine has come a long way and absolutely every American
deserves the same level of affordable healthcare despite where they live, their
income level or current health. I ask that you take these issues into
consideration when voting/debating healthcare in our nation. You are my elected
official and I am counting on you to be my voice.